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Incontinence - urinary, in women - Management
How do I determine the effect of the incontinence on the woman's quality of life?

  • To determine the effect of the incontinence on the woman's quality of life:
    • Ask about the effect on her social life.
    • Ask about the effect on sexual function.
    • Consider using an assessment tool, such as the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire.
  • Also assess desire for treatment, and expectations and motivation.
Basis for recommendation
  • These recommendations reflect expert advice found in clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) [National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health, 2006] and a Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin [DTB, 2001].
  • NICE evaluated the test-retest reliability of several quality-of-life and symptom scoring scales and found good reliability for the following instruments: International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ), Stress and Urge Incontinence and Quality of Life Questionnaire (SUIQQ), Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL), Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (BFLUTS), King's Health Questionnaire, Urinary Incontinence Severity Score (UISS), Incontinence Severity Index (ISI), and the SEAPI-QMM (an acronym for stress-related leak, emptying ability, anatomy [female], protection, inhibition, quality of life, mobility, and mental status).

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